2026 Festival Opening Concert - Gloria!

The festival opens in a blaze of joyful sound with Gloria! — a celebration of radiant polychoral music from the golden age of the early Baroque. In this exhilarating program, the Consort of Melbourne brings vocal harmony to life with intimacy and verve, together with Consortium Viols and the curtal consort Unholy Rackett, supported by a lush continuo of organ, harpsichord and theorbo. Together they fill the space with luminous harmony, dancing rhythms, and the glorious interplay of voices and instruments.

Featuring music by Heinrich Schütz, Hans Leo Hassler and Michael Praetorius, Gloria! revels in the splendour of sound that defined seventeenth-century music — choirs calling to one another across space in cascades of echo and colour, expressing joy, devotion, and human connection.

From stately grandeur to radiant exuberance, Gloria! invites audiences to share in the warmth and optimism of this timeless music. It is a jubilant opening to the festival — a feast of harmony, artistry, and celebration.

After the concert there will be a celebratory supper in the Church Hall, entrance to the supper can be prepurchased along with your ticket by choosing the ‘Concert Plus Supper’ ticket type when booking.